Growing up in Asia, I had to acquire knowledge and skills the hard way. My parents would ensure that learnings will get mentally and physically entrenched through vigorous discipline so that they may be applied constantly and effectively in the future. Now, residing in North America as an Asian young adult, life has been a complete adjustment. Assimilating to the Western culture is a long process especially since daily habits are a complete contrast. However, there are Asian practices that I got to admit I am quite proud that have become accustomed to since they have helped me solve some basic daily problems. Here are ten signs or habits that prove you were raised by Asian immigrant parents!
1. No straight A’s? No social life.
This is universally given, especially in Asia. Every Asian student knows that it’s practically mandatory to get at least 80 or 3.5 in every course at school. Otherwise, there’s no TV or cellphone for days or even weeks. The only way to justify this is by having an understanding that our Asian immigrant parents are simply concerned about our future. Oh, and our school competitors.
2. You eat rice all day, everyday.
You have a rice cooker at your parent’s house. You have a rice cooker at your own house. Regardless, you are bound to have one wherever you live because rice is literally “life” in the eastern world. For us Asians, we simply cannot enjoy anything stir-fried or steamed without a cup of rice.
3. You have a cupboard or cabinet full of grocery bags.
From utilizing them as trash can linings to containing take-home foods, no plastic bag will go to waste because they are crucial in the household as taught by your Asian immigrant parents. Replenishment simply happens because you go to the Chinese grocery store.
4. You have a collection of complimentary soaps, shampoos, and conditioners.
You can’t check out of the hotel without grabbing these! Asian moms consider them as souvenirs either for household stock or future travel toiletries. If you live in an Asian house, there should be an abundance of them in your washroom cabinet.
5. You use your index finger to measure how much water you need to put in the rice cooker.
As an Asian, you learn things the old school way, including this basic trick. Also called the “first knuckle method”, you have to make sure that the water level reaches the first crease of your finger and this evenly cooks the rice in the rice cooker.
6. You remove your shoes off at the doorstep, especially at someone else’s house.
Why? It’s common courtesy and for hygienic reasons. Upon entering an Asian household, there are generally two shoe containers or racks. One is for stowing away outside shoes and the other is for containing slippers. Some Asians do not allow guests to be barefoot and provide slippers to keep their feet clean. Some old school Asians also believe that being barefoot at home stimulates pressure points, which “frees” the feet and ultimately, enhances health.
7. Your (gadget) remotes are covered with plastic wrap.
Like removing shoes inside the house, Asians do this simply because of cleanliness. We wrap remote controls with plastic so that dirt and bacteria will not accumulate.
8. You use your dishwasher as a drying rack.
One of the most common habits of an Asian family is never using the dishwasher. A reason is that we were trained to wash our own dishes at a young age. Another reason is because Asian immigrant parents believe that washing dishes by hand saves more water than using the dishwasher.
9. Badminton and table tennis are sports.
These sports are big in Asia therefore if you go to an Asian household, chances are you’ll find a badminton racket lying around or a ping pong table in the basement.
10. You know how to play an instrumental particularly, the piano.
As a child, this was one of the most important extracurricular activities you had to do, according to your Asian parents. By the time you’re in your mid 20s, you are either a pro or still know significant knowledge of the instrument. The same goes with playing the violin or cello.
